Starting-valve.



E. L. RAGONNET.

STARTING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1o| 1912.

1,094,247, Patented Apr.21, 1914.

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EUGENE L. RAGONNET, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BALD- WIN LOCO-MOTIVE WORKS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

STARTING-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

fo all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE L. RAGONNET, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Starting-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my' invention is to provide means whereby a compressed air engine can be readily started, especially when on center.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the improper handling oi a compressed air locomotive, so as to prevent the use of high pressure air indiscriminately in the low pressure cylinder.

These objects I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a side view of my improved valve mechanism; Fig. 2, is an end view; Fig. 3, is a detached sectional view of the automatic valve; and Fig. 4, is a diagram view.

1 is the high pressure cylinder of the air engine; 2 is a throttle valve, having the lap, as shown at 3, when the valve is in the closed position as in F ig. 4.

4 is the throttle valve rod connected to an Operating lever 5 in the cab of the locomotive and arranged to travel over the notched segment 6, and on the lever is the ordinary spring catch 7 arranged to engage the notched segment 6. On the lever 5 is a latch 8, beveled on one side, and projected by a weight, so that it will yield when passing the trigger 9 in one direction; the trigger being so shaped, however, that it will engage the latch when the lever is moved in the other direction. This trigger is pivoted at 10 and has a weighted arm 21 and an arm 11, which bears against the rod 12 of the valve 13, back of which is a spring 14. rThis valve is an automatic valve and is located in the valve chest 15, divided by a partition 16, so as to provide two chambers. In the partition is an opening, the wall of which forms a seat for the valve 13.

17 is a pipe leading from the main air tank to one compartment of the valve chest, and 18 is a pipe leading from the other compartment of the valve chest to the low pressure cylinder.

19 is a stop on the frame 20, which limits the rear movement of the lever 9.

In starting the locomotive, the pistons will be in either the operative or inoperative position. If they are in the operative position theny all that is necessary is to throw the throttle lever over from the closed to the open position, actuating the trip valve to allow the high pressure fluid to enter the low pressure cylinder for a moment without affecting the movement. It the pistons, however, are in the inoperative position, then the throttle valve is brought to the partial open position and is held by the engineer until a certain amount of high pressure fluid passes into the low pressure cylinder, when the engine commences to move. The movement of the throttle lever is continued so that it will immediately cut oit the supply of high pressure fluid to the low pressure cylinder and the locomotive will operate compound.

lVhen the throttle lever 5 is in the position illustrated in the diagram, Fig. 4, then the throttle valve is in the position illustrated in said iigure, and having the latch projected, as shown. On the movement of this lever backward from the position w to the position y, the lap is-taken up and the throttle is ready to open, but in the meantime the latch 8 has engaged the arm 9 of the trigger and opened the valve 13, so as to leave a certain amount of air from the main tank into the low pressure cylinder. This is sutlicient to cause the engine to move over dead center, and with high pressure air in both cylinders, but as the movement is continued from the point 3/ to the full opening position e, the latch 8 slips off the trigger and the valve 13 is immediately closed by its spring, cutting ofi the supply of air from the main tank to the low pressure cylinder, owing to the fact that the position of the trigger is such that the movement of the latch is eccentric and automatically slips out of contact therewith; consequently it is impossible for the operavtor to so position the valve mechanism that high pressure air will be fed direct to the low pressure cylinder,thus avoiding waste, and preventing break downs due to the eX- cessive use of high pressure air in the low pressure cylinder.

cylinder; a throttle lever for actuating the throttle valve; a trigger located in the path of the throttle valve and arranged to aetuate the valve in the above mentioned valve chest so that on the first movement ol' the throttle lever, the trigger will be actuated to open the valve and allow a certain portion of the high pressure vfluid to flow directly. to the low pressure cylinder and, on the continued movement of the lever, to close said valve.

2. rIhe combination in a starting valve for compound engines, of a throttle valve arranged to close the port leading to the high pressure cylinder of the engine; a throttle lever connected to said valve; a latch oarried by said lever; a valve Chest communicating with the air tank and the ylow pressure cylinder of the compound engine; a spring pressed valve in said chest; a pivotall)7 mounted triggerhaving an arm bean ing against the stem of the spring pressed valve and having another arm extending into the path of the latch so that when the lever is moved from the closed position to a point immediately before the opening of the throttle valve, it will aetuatethe trigger and will allow high pressure fluidl to pass through the valve chest directly to the lovv pressure cylinder and, on the continued movement of the throttle lever, to release the valve, which will close against its seat preventing further flow ot' high pressure fluid directly to the lovv pressure cylinder.

3. The combination in a. starting valve for a compound engine having high and low -pressure cylinders, of a throttle valve; a

lever connected to the throttle valve; a lateh on the lever; a valve chestv communicating with an air pressure tank and With the low pressure Cylinder; a valve in the valve chest; a spring pressing against the valve to hold it against its seat; said valve having a stem projecting through the valve chest; a pivotalli7 mounted trigger having an arm bearing against the end of the stein of the valve and having another arm in the path of the lever so that when the throttle lever is moved the latch Will strike rt-he trigger and Will force the valve in the valve chest open aga-instthe pressure of the spring and, on the continued movement. of the throttle lever, t-he trigger will be released from the control of the latch and the spring will close the valve againstV its seat.

In testimon;7 whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

ENGENE L. RAGONNET.

lVitnesse's Jos. H. KLEIN, WM. A. BARR.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

